What negative effects does ethanol from corn have on ranching/farming?

Question

What negative effects does ethanol from corn have on ranching/farming?

Answer 1

It has put the cost of corn up so much that milk producers are not making any profit any more, and soon the cost of all meats that need corn for feed will go up as well.  Although it is not made form petroleum, it doesn't burn that effeciently and the mileage is less than you would get with the same amount of gasoline.

Answer 2

it have driven up the price of corn! It has affected the poultry farmers who feed a corn based feed, it has driven up the price of dairy, for the dairy farmers feed corn based feed. It has affected beef farmers too!

Pork prices are up! AND the profit isn't going to the farmers!

Look at even the soda you are drinking... it is sweetened w/ corn syrup!

Did you notice the number of beef animals in the fair barns were down this year? It is because the corn prices!

Answer 3

I guess if you run a cattle feedlot and weren't smart enough to contract out your feed beforehand and were paying market prices, you would be complaining because the price of corn is decent and you have to pay more.

The people who invested in the ethenol plants 7 years ago around here have had a full return already.  There is no waiting in line, in and out.  Saving valuable time.  Fill your contracts, and life is good.

Answer 4

Well if you drink too much of it, you could fall off your tractor.

Answer 5

I doubt there are any negatives particularly for farmers, though I expect that the same market forces that have been driving small farmers out of business for decades will continue to do so.  

The main negatives are higher food prices, and no decrease in fuel costs. The various stories around about the net gain in useable motor fuel from producing ethanol versus producing gasoline are suspiciously vague, but it appears that the net gain is marginal, at best.  

This is what I've expected since Bush announced how thrilled he was to throw this political sop to the farmers, and I still expect it: Gas will remain high and go higher.  Now you'll just get to pay high prices for food as well.

No situation is ever truly screwed up until some jerk like Bush gets around to "fixing" it.

Advances in production of fuel from cellulose waste would probably work out better, but those remain to be developed.

Answer 6

Im a cattle feeder it has really driven up feed cost, but the grain sector needed a well deserved boost in product prices.

Answer 7

When used as a fuel, it evaporates faster than gasoline.  The reality is that it pollutes more, but the politics is driving the conversion.  Producing corn for fuel diverts the farmers efforts from food production.

Answer 8

it sure would be nice if the cotton price would triple